If you want to make an Ancestor Box Chart with pictures, yes - and very simply. The Image tab on the Ancestor Chart definition screen lets you put the (primary) image on the left or right in the box. There are examples on the WG Sample Report page here. (The Sample Reports page is also accessible directly from within TMG, on the Report menu down near the bottom.)

If you want to make a Pedigree report (as listed on the Report menu) - but with pictures, you cannot do that directly. You can, however, simulate the same format in VCF by making an Ancestor Box Chart with the box lines transparent, as in the screenshot below.

Mike was having a problem with uploads, so I am forwarding this from him:

FROM MIKE TALBOT:

Thanks to Virginia Blakelock demonstrating how to switch back and forth between multiple chart definition sets and how to apply box fill colors, two attached examples are presented. (I almost never use TMG personal ID numbers, but don’t mind if others do.)

The first shows an 8 generations tiny-chart with three generations of siblings, two generations of spouses and three generations overlapped. Color is used to emphasize who is a sibling and who is a spouse. Color is used sparingly, since ink costs more than gold. This chart fits on 3 letter sized landscape pages (10.5 x 29 inches). (Note: the siblings were copied from another ancestor chart produced with the show-siblings definition option. The spouses were copied from descendant charts.)

The second shows an 8 generations tiny-chart, no siblings, one generation of spouses and 3 overlapped generations. This chart has images. It measures 10.5 x 33 inches. The images are a bit too tiny to be clear, but do show where images are missing and needed.

Font sizes in the boxes are names: 8R and life span: 6R in all tiny-chart definitions. This simulates names in bold.

It is recommended that the VCF generation overlap option should not be used on charts, since that option overlaps all generations. Ancestor charts grow linearly with added generations (width), but exponentially within consecutive generations (length/ height). Overlapping the far right generations will save a little paper in width but will cost a lot in chart length.

It is easy to manually overlap the first few generations on the left (the sparsely populated generations) with VCF (use view>zoom to fit). Just select the right hand generations to be moved (draw a box around them with the mouse while holding down the left key) and move the selection to the left while still holding down the left mouse key. Repeat for as many generations that are to be overlapped. Stop overlapping generations when the result would be too crowded and require a lot of individual person box moves (or the desired chart width is achieved). It’s easier done than said. (Note: you need to bring the overlapped person boxes to the top so that connector lines do not show over them.)

This brings up three new Ancestor Chart Wish List items:

Replace the “all or none” options for siblings and overlapped generations with the number of generations to apply each optional feature (ranging from 0 to all).
Add an option to show-spouses. Again, specify the number of generations to apply the spouses option (from 0 to the number of siblings generations, not an “all or none” flag). For those who don’t like the implemented way of displaying spouses, move them to “your way.”
Add a different box fill color option for siblings and spouses (there is already one that applies to all boxes. Sometimes very nice, but always costly in ink usage.)

Interests:Cajun, creole, royal and noble genealogy. Military history and artifacts, old portraits and photos. Chemical Engineer, Tulane U. 1961, retired.

Posted 01 October 2008 - 12:47 PM

Thank you, Virginia, for posting the message where I could not upload attachments. It seems that any attachment larger than the low-300s KB will not upload to TMG forums from my computer. The same large attachments will upload to e-mail. Any ideas, anyone?

The attached chart (311 KB) shows a use of color (using Virginia’s color palette) on regular sized charts (letter size paper). This chart honors Lafayette and other American Revolution leaders at the Battle of Yorktown.

The original chart displayed 5 generations of Lafayette ancestors. But, at 400 KB it would not upload to this forum.

Attached Thumbnails

Interests:Cajun, creole, royal and noble genealogy. Military history and artifacts, old portraits and photos. Chemical Engineer, Tulane U. 1961, retired.

Posted 06 October 2008 - 07:51 PM

Thank you, Virginia, for posting the message where I could not upload attachments. It seems that any attachment larger than the low-300s KB will not upload to TMG forums from my computer. The same large attachments will upload to e-mail. Any ideas, anyone?

The attached chart (311 KB) shows a use of color (using Virginia's color palette) on regular sized charts (letter size paper). This chart honors Lafayette and other American Revolution leaders at the Battle of Yorktown.

The original chart displayed 5 generations of Lafayette ancestors. But, at 400 KB it would not upload to this forum.

Mike Talbot

For those with similar problems, try using the MS Windows Internet Explorer instead of standard AOL (or other service) to communicate with this forum.

A work-around found for large JPG attachment upload failures to this forum using AOL:

JPG files as large as 880 KB upload fine with the Windows Internet Explorer. 311 KB was the largest JPG upload that was successful using AOL. The Windows Explorer did fail on a 2 meg JPG file. No attachment sizes between the 880 KB success and the 2 meg failure have been tested.

The attached 440 KB had failed to upload in a previous attempt. It is the original 5 gen. ancestor chart on Lafayette mentioned in my previous post in this topic. It is a composite (several people copied from other charts) with one generation of siblings with spouses and two VCF hand edited overlapped generations. It fits on one legal size sheet.

Attached Thumbnails

Interests:Cajun, creole, royal and noble genealogy. Military history and artifacts, old portraits and photos. Chemical Engineer, Tulane U. 1961, retired.

Posted 07 October 2008 - 11:51 AM

Did you ever reach a temporary impasse or become bored with your current reseach genealogy project? When that happens to me, I put that project aside and look for data on an interesting person (to me) of historical importance or celebrity. An exciting new project always restores my enthusiasm for more serious but less thrilling genealogical research.

The attached VCF charts are the results of such tangential projects. The first chart shows a line of ascent from Queen Paola of Belgium to the marquis de LaFayette (see previous post). The chart continues down to her heirs. The second chart displays Sophia Loren's family. Italian connections?

Each chart was designed and hand edited in VCF to fit on letter size paper. If you have any questions on the techniques involved in the hand editing of the charts in this topic, ask, but please be specific.

Regards,Mike Talbot

Attached Thumbnails

Mike,
Do you know how many pixels are across an 8x11 piece of paper? I'd like to do a 5 generation pedigree chart in VCF, and have it fit on one sheet of paper. Just need to know what size to make the boxes. Once I had it set up, then I could run that same report supplying the right ancestor another 89 times and have a set of 5 gen pedigree charts that are pretty. Not all that fond of the pedigree charts out of TMG.

Interests:Cajun, creole, royal and noble genealogy. Military history and artifacts, old portraits and photos. Chemical Engineer, Tulane U. 1961, retired.

Posted 07 October 2008 - 02:00 PM

Mike,Do you know how many pixels are across an 8x11 piece of paper? I'd like to do a 5 generation pedigree chart in VCF, and have it fit on one sheet of paper. Just need to know what size to make the boxes. Once I had it set up, then I could run that same report supplying the right ancestor another 89 times and have a set of 5 gen pedigree charts that are pretty. Not all that fond of the pedigree charts out of TMG.

The nearest I can tell there are about 125 pixels per inch horizontal and about 100 pixels per inch vertical. Typically, the boxes in my charts are 176 x 76 pixels (they vary considerably, vertically, when there is no picture).

If you use VCF to hand overlap (move) the first two generations you can make your boxes wider.

Can you describe what you don't like about TMG generated charts? Describe what you want, instead? Maybe post an example? TMG/VCF has such a wide variety of configurable options, maybe someone here can help make your charts the way that you want them.

To answer Mike. The pedigree charts printed out of TMG are frankly ugly. They are plain and boring. I would love to see the names surrounded by boxes, preferably let me pick a fancy frame and let the report itself shrink the text enough to fit in the boxes. I also find them hard to read because of the way the lines from the generations run through the boxes for the next generation. If you don't know what I mean, run a blank chart.

The box size I was using is 145 pixels. The font is Comic Sans MS 8. 6 for lines.

Ran it on my first 5 generations. The resulting chart was 8"wide x 14 long. I think the key is Virginia is using lifespan data. I am trying to use the same basic data that TMG uses on it's pedigree charts, B, D, B, husbands have marriage information.

The boxes are just plain boxes. Using a frame would add to that size.

One thing I have often which TMG could do was print a pretty 5 generation pedigree chart. Put the information in a fairly decorative box. All for a nice font. One thing you have to admit about FTM is it has pretty charts.

I ran a set of 5 generation pedigree charts this morning. It ran 89 pages. I don't want to have to hand edit a VCF chart every time I want to print something like that.

I think that's my issue. When I run a five generation chart, I have 16 boxes on the far right hand side. I am trying to get a chart similar to a pedigree chart, and I don't think it's possible from VCF for me.

I tried to upload a copy of one for my dad, but I am having the same problem as Mike, the forum wouldn't allow me to upload it.

How about something along the lines of Patt Rickett's booklet (inspired by your idea) a couple of years ago on the forum here?

For lurkers: the VCF forum is set to show just the last 90 days of messages. To see older messages: on the Main VCF Forum screen where it lists all the messages, go to the bottom of the screen, down arrow on 'From: 90 days', select 'Show All' and then press the GO button. This is not a permanent change, so if you see a message you want to come back to, save the address. To save the address for a specific message, look for the link at the top right corner of that message - for example Post#38. Click on that link and you can copy/save the address for that single message.

Virginia,
Thanks I had forgotten all about Patt's book. I think I can do fine with 4 generations, just not five. I ran the 5 generation pedigree chart for my talk to DD's class and it ran 89 pages. Of course, some lines I don't know before 1820 others run until 1600s. Some lines are easy, some lines aren't.

I believe Patts book is 4 generations. I will have to read that whole thread again. I did create such a book once, but have no idea what I did with it. I also printed a full chart out once and taped it altogether in my Living Room. It was nice and big.

I do fine when I can set the setting in VCF and have it print, but I am terrible at using it to move boxes, create new ones etc. Maybe you, Mike or Robin might consider a Primer for VCF for those of us who are challenged in this area.

I do fine when I can set the setting in VCF and have it print, but I am terrible at using it to move boxes, create new ones etc. Maybe you, Mike or Robin might consider a Primer for VCF for those of us who are challenged in this area.

Teresa, have you looked at my article on Editing Charts? It doen't address adding new boxes, but does explain some of the issues around moving exiting boxes and their connecting lines.